24 Interesting (and Funny) Facts About Spam
Love it or hate it, Spam is a cultural staple. What started as survival food is now a beloved part of many trendy and nostalgic dishes, from Spam Musubi to Spam and eggs.
If you’re still hesitant about the so-called mystery meat, these facts might make you realize it’s not (quite) as bad as you think.
1: It Wasn’t Created During WWII
Hormel Foods Corporation launched Spam in 1937, during the Great Depression, when there was a huge need for non-perishable proteins. Soldiers in World War II (WWII) went on to rely on the canned pork product.
2: Not Universally Adored
Many WWII fighters looked down on Spam, especially those fighting in Europe. However, soldiers in the Pacific found ways to make it taste exceptional. To this day, Spam enjoys popularity in the region.
3: Mystery Meat
Spam is a pork product, but no one is really sure where its name comes from. Or, at least, those who did know aren’t talking. The former Hormel executives who named the product never explained exactly what the letters stood for, though many assume it was a combination of “spiced” and “ham.”
4: The Hormel Girls
After WWII ended, Hormel knew it needed to market Spam to regular Americans, so they created the “Hormel Girls.” The group of sixty women toured the country promoting Spam, and by 1948, they had their own radio show.
5: More Than One Type
Spam comes in 14 varieties worldwide, including teriyaki, bacon, and garlic. There’s also a Spam spread and “Spam Meals for 1,” which are Spam-based dinner plates.
6: It Wasn’t Only For the Allies
While many are aware Spam fed allied troops during WWII, few realize the other side also used it. Russian Premier Nikita Khrushchev said Spam was responsible for keeping Russian troops alive.
7: Slammin’ Spammy
During the war, Spam had a mascot. Slammin’ Spammy was an angry, gun-wielding pig that appeared on everything from the sides of bomber planes to T-shirts.
8: A Lot of Spam
Hormel Foods produces 44,000 cans of Spam per hour. That adds up to 33,000 pounds of Spam every sixty minutes.
9: Known Ingredients
Many are wary of what’s inside a can of Spam, but Hormel has always been pretty transparent in this regard: pork shoulder, ham, salt, water, sugar, potato starch, and nitrites. Hot dogs have a similar ingredient list.
10: Spam For All
More cans of Spam have been sold than there are people on earth. The 7th billion can of Spam sold in 2007, and the company is currently experiencing surging sales.
11: It’s Not Eternal
Spam is classic emergency food, and many choose to keep it in long-term storage. However, canned meat doesn’t have a forever shelf life. According to Hormel, you should consume your Spam by the best by date, which is typically within two to five years.
12: Festivals of Spam
The gelatinous pork product has retained such a fanatic following that there are Spam festivals around the world. The most famous one is Spam Jam, held yearly in Hawaii.
13: Spam Loves Hawaii
Hawaiian culture has adopted Spam into many classic dishes, like Spam Musubi. And Spam loves Hawaiians in return. After the 2023 wildfires in Maui, Hormel donated more than $1 million in cash and product to affected Hawaiians.
14: A Restaurant Devoted to Spam
Spam Jam, located in the Philippines, is a restaurant devoted to all things Spam. You can try a Spam burger, Spam spaghetti, and, of course, Spam Musubi.
15: Spam’s Silver Screen Debut
Spam made its mark on the Silver Screen during a Monty Python skit in 1970. During the skit, a group of Vikings seated at a cafe sing about their deep love of Spam.
16: The Spam Museum
For truly devoted Spam fans, there’s a museum in Austin, Minnesota. If you can’t make it to the Land of 10,000 Lakes, they offer free virtual tours.
17: Shoplifter’s Favorite
Spam is so well-loved in Hawaii that it’s become a common pick for shoplifters. It’s not rare to find the canned meat behind a locked glass cabinet or behind the checkout counter.
18: Junk Mail’s Predecessor
The 1970s Monty Python skit about Spam said the product name so many times that “spam” became ubiquitous with anything annoying and repetitive. When email hit the scene, giving junk mail the name “spam” was only natural.
19: For the Wealthy
In the U.S., we tend to view Spam as a cheap meat alternative. But in other countries, it’s not viewed as a low-brow food.
Instead, in places like South Korea, Spam is tied to wealth and is considered a luxury item.
20: Not Actually Cheap
Spam sells for anywhere from $2 to $4 in the U.S. on average, which means it costs up to $.33 per ounce. That’s often more expensive than regular ground pork.
21: Not One of a Kind
Spam isn’t as unique of a product as you might imagine. Other canned pork products, like Treet, existed and were even served during WWII.
22: Not the Same Recipe
In 2009, Hormel changed the Spam recipe. Adding potato starch was said to improve the meat’s appearance in the can.
23: Most Spam Per Capita
Hawaii consumes more Spam per capita than any other state. According to a USA Today report, Hawaiians eat about 7 million cans of Spam per year.
24: Hawaii’s Savior
During World War II, the federal government put sanctions on deep-sea fishing in Hawaii because they saw Japanese fishing vessels as a threat to national security. The islands relied heavily on fish as a protein source, and the sanctions would have been detrimental were it not for Spam.
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